100% One Tribe - One People Flash Mob

Prolonged Detention - Rachel Maddow's Comments

Barton Creek Mall Christmas Arrest

CodePink Austin, along with allies from Veteran's for Peace and Women in Black staged a Don't Buy War "freeze" at Barton Creek Mall on Saturday, December 3rd. 

The group was between the Santa photo station and the Gamestop store, which prominently advertises the 'Modern Warfare 3' video game. 

The goals were to raise awareness about the continuing wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, to educate shoppers about the costs (both human and economic) of the wars, and to dissuade parents from purchasing war toys. An APD officer assaulted/arrested a young woman (Nicole Mann) who had joined the group spontaneously. 

*Update*


First reports are that she sustained 4 broken ribs!  Also, from people associated with the arrest.  She has been charged with 1 felony and 2 charges that were lowered to a class "B" and class "C" misdemeanor.

Searches to find information within mainstream news have turned up no information.

**I've often wondered when it became policy for security/police to surround people being arrested so that they can be brutalized while unthinking corporate servants run about telling people to stop filming.  It is not illegal to film public officers in public spaces!!!

Video Footage from NYPD HQ Plaza - 30th September 2011

What's Happening in Freedom Plaza?

The first rustlings of a movement.

This Caught Me By Surprise

Veteran reporter, Lawrence O' Donnell criticizes police as aggressors. 

His indignation at the treatment of Americans at the Occupy Wall Street gatherings and in daily interactions is apparent.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

If the Tar Sands ad plays before this clip, you might click here 

to read about something you likely missed in the news.

On My Way To The Capital

I met a lady who introduced her self as, "Peace". 

She thanked me for asking before taking her photo. 

She took my hand, looked deep in my eyes and told me to have a beautiful day. 

She said nothing more.

Have Some Tea with Dr. King

Please pour yourself a cup of tea, coffee, water, etc. and sit back for a few moments and listen to a speech given by the late Dr. King.
This speech inspires me as much or more as his "I have a dream" speech.

Please give it a good long listen. You may be as inspired as I am.
Thank you, Dr. King.

Thank You Senator Mike Doherty

It is unfortunate that Mr. Doherty and others are having to go to these lengths to protect the 4th amendment, but I am glad he is doing so. I took the following text directly from his legislative site:

New Jersey Senator Michael Doherty (R-Warren, Hunterdon) announced today that he has introduced three pieces of legislation drafted to eliminate any immunity TSA agents might enjoy when violating New Jersey law during unnecessary and invasive airport screenings:

“For more than a month now, the TSA has quite literally stuck their finger in the eye of law-abiding American citizens while trampling on their constitutionally guaranteed liberties,” Doherty stated. “We call upon every state legislature in our great country to immediately act to put our federal government on notice that the dignity of our citizens shall not be the cost of a failed federal open border policy.”

The following bills were introduced:

*Makes certain body searches third degree crime of sexual assault under certain circumstances. View as PDF.

*Prohibits use of body imaging scanners to screen passengers and airline crew members. View as PDF.

*Specifies that certain images generated by body scans violate State statutes, prohibiting invasion of privacy, pornography, and endangerment of child welfare under certain circumstances. View as PDF.

“All of these bills remove any claim that TSA agents are immune to any state statutes that they violate when searching passengers or crew,” Doherty concluded. “If we don’t take strong action against these violations, where will it lead? Today planes, tomorrow trains and buses, what then? Will the drive to the market be viewed as a ‘privilege,’ the walk to church? Will we stand upon the slippery slope of paranoia that leads to invasive searches becoming a way of daily life, or say ‘No’ and defend our rights to privacy now while we still have them.”Senator Doherty has launched an online petition to support his efforts to stop invasive TSA screening procedures at www.stopthetsa.org.

National Opt Out Day

Tomorrow is National Opt Out day for scanners and genitalia searches.

As far as I'm concerned, every day is Opt Out day!

We still have the 4th amendment in place and the current TSA protocol is in clear violation.

There is NO LAW requiring us to submit to such offensive, oppressive tactics.

Yes, it's a different world since 9/11. But, I don't remember anyone saying anything about dissolving the 4th amendment. Until we do that, we don't have to allow a search of our genitalia to leave town. If we allow fear to rule our intellect, history tells us we are on a dangerously slippery slope.

Let's not let the argument be misdirected; this is NOT about being forced to absorb radioactivity (although a valid argument), it is about privacy and our inalienable rights.

Fear does not overrule the Constitution of the United States.

Mr. Pistole, the TSA Administrator, in his US News and World Report interview said, "We want to treat each passenger with dignity and respect.".

Mr. Pistole, treating citizens with "dignity and respect" does not include the presumption of guilt, rather than innocence and it doesn't include a reach-around!

Matt Kernan provides an example of how to be respectful, not allow the TSA or police to violate your 4th Amendment rights and then be allowed to travel.

Sam Wolanyk also declined. His approach was more attention grabbing.

Stand up for yourself. Stand up for your country.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

~Thomas Jefferson

Be Love

Enough is Enough

Ron Paul on the floor of the Congress last night, speaking on the ridiculous treatment of citizens by the TSA:

Terrorism is bad.
The 4th Amendment is good.
Fear should not rule our intellect.
Fear does not trump inalienable rights.
Let's reinstate the 4th amendment--then there wouldn't be a need for his bill.

Rally to Restory Sanity - Austin 2010

There was:

Attention getting:

Show supporting:

Representation from the far right:

Same-sex embracing:

Calls to action:

Calls to research:

Voices of moderation:

Voices of reason:

Signs for fun:

And my absolute favorite!:

Ascension Mantra

I was doing a massage when this came out of her ipod...I froze and listened to the entire thing.

She said, "Yeah, that's what happened to me too.".

If you wish to have a .pdf of this mantra, click here.

Dear Texan Friends - CALL SOMEBODY!!!

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

As many of you know, I have moved to British Columbia. I, however, have not forgotten about all of my friends and family in Texas. I have not been posting political stories and have been focusing on art, massage and music. But the time has come to post about a couple of stories that need the attention and action of Texans now.

The first is a video news report from Houston, TX in which the Houston Police Department has been testing spy drones. Yes, just like in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

I find it intriguing that the Police feel it necessary to monitor and lie to the public. Please call Mayor Annise D. Parker at 713.837.0311 to let her know what you think of being monitored like a military enemy.



The other story that caught my eye is the El Paso Police Department is purchasing 1,145 AR-15s. You can read about it here. So we all have nothing to worry about if we are doing nothing wrong...Right?

I hope to be posting more about the wonders and beauty available to us all in the near future.

Morning Music - Sly and the Family Stone

My favorite part of this performance on the Ed Sullivan show was unfortunately left out of this video. It is when Sly announced at the beginning:

"Don't hate the black, don't hate the white. If you get bit, just hate the bite."

Hope it gets your butt rockin'. It worked for me!

What Forced Vaccinations?

I have numerous acquaintances and readers who believe there is no push for forced vaccinations. I would like to agree, but cannot. Below, I offer up two videos for your consideration and an ad for a health workers' protest in New York.

The first is Judge Andrew Napolitano commenting on the unconstitutional bill in Massachusetts that will allow the governor to declare an emergency and "allow" police to force their way into your homes to vaccinate you:

The second is of Charlie Crist who has filed a law suit regarding Florida's forced vaccination statute and has mentioned the Governor in that suit.

Here's a rally poster for Health Care Personnel who are opposed to mandatory vaccinations.

Morning Music - K'naan

Here's K'naan...

And his lyrics...

- K'naan Lyrics

What do you think?

Military Police at Kentucky Derby

I retrieved these shots while surfing through new AP photos of the Kentucky Derby on Yahoo and Google, respectively.  I suppose that posse comitatus does not apply in Kentucky?

20,000 Troops Inside U.S. by 2011

I have not been blogging on political or economic issues intentionally.  I felt this story was important enough to share.  I will try to post some art soon.

From MSNBC on November 30th:

(Photo courtesy of Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)

"The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials."

Read the entire article here. 

The article, initially entitled, "20,000 Troops Iside U.S. by 2011" has been retitled (I don't know if MSNBC or the Washington Post is responsible).  The new, kinder, gentler propagandistic spin on the title is "Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security".

 

I find it interesting that the military has a different view of their duties. I spoke of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team taking their place on American soil in this  article.  

Christmas Shopping or Stockpiling Weapons?

It was a scene I could only compare to shopping malls at Christmas time in the 1980s.  We drove up North Lamar into a traffic jam. We had to go see what all of the commotion was about.

 There were Sheriffs directing traffic, cars parked up and down both sides of the streets including most of the surrounding lots near the Crocket Center were full and the Center Parking lot was obviously at capacity.

It wasn't black Friday and it certainly isn't the 1980s. 

 

It was a gun show in Central Texas just after the election.

This photo does not begin to demonstrate how packed it was there.